Journal of Open Learning and Research Communication

Transcription

1 Journal of Open Learning and Research Communication 1.1 About the Journal The Journal of Open Learning and Research Communication (JOLRC) is an annual peer-reviewed multi-disciplinary journal of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University, Guwahati, Assam, INDIA. However, it lays particular emphasis on publishing research findings on open and distance learning. 2.1 Instruction for Authors These instructions shall guide you in preparing manuscript for the Journal of Open Learning and Research Communication (JOLRC). The page-set up and format of the word document: Paper Size: A4. Page margins : Top: 2.7 cm, Bottom: 3.6 cm, Left: 1.9 cm, Right : 1.8 cm Font Style: Garamond, Font Sizes: 11 across the text of the paper. Font size of the Paper Title: 20, bold, in sentence case. Same paper titles are to be used both in abstract, and the full paper and the same style should be maintained. Paragraphs are to be used by indenting the first line with a tab of 0.5 inch. No sub-paragraphs are to be used. However, if necessary, sub-paragraphs should be numbered in alphabetical order, viz., a), b), c). No separate margins are to be used for sub-paragraphs. Line spacing: Font size for quotation (in para) : For quotations of more than 30 words, please use Quotation (in para). Font Size is 10.5 with line breaks after and before the subsequent para and.25 margin on both sides from the margin of the main text. Line spacing in quotation (in para): 1. Only foot notes are to be used with the font size of 9.5. Foot notes should be numbered as i, ii, iii.etc. 2.2 Preparation of your paper for the JOLRC The abstract of your paper should not be more than 300 words. Please provide about four to five key words or phrases in alphabetical order, separated by commas. Please do not use the words already used in the title. The main text of the paper should be divided into four parts: Introduction: It should explain the basic research problem, hypothesis or research questions, if any and the methodology adopted. Review of Literature: It should briefly review the major arguments of the available research. Discussion and Results: This section should be devoted to the discussion of the research findings/results. We encourage you to use separate titles of the sections/sub-sections of the discussion. The paper should have a summarised Conclusion at the end of the discussion. The conclusion section might elaborate on the importance of the work, or suggest applications, or deliberate on some future scope of study and extensions. 2.3 Procedure of Submission of the Paper: Submission of papers to the journal in electronic.doc or.docx format is a must. The electronic file of your paper will be formatted further by the Editorial board of JOLRC. While submitting your paper for the first time, 1 P a g e

2 please submit two versions of the paper in.doc or.docx format. The first version should be marked as Contributors Copy on the top right corner and it should contain the names and institutional affiliation of all the contributing authors 1 along with contact details (mobile number and id) of the corresponding author. The second version should be marked as Review Copy on the top right corner and should not include names, address of any of the authors. In all other respects, both the versions of the paper must be the same. A. Review Stage The papers submitted to the journal are subject to blind review by two reviewers. The reviewers will be selected by the University. However, you may also suggest names of 4-5 persons who are expert on the relevant theme, who could be approached for the purpose of Review in the version of your paper containing the names and addressed of the authors. The names of the suggested reviewers should not feature on the version of the paper without the names of the authors. The suggested reviewers need not be personally known to you, but should have made significant contributions in the field. B. Presenting the Figures, Tables, Mathematical Equations etc. Tables and Figures Please include figures and tables only when they are necessary. Please submit the figures and tables in a separate file (in.doc/.docx format only). You are to place figure captions below the figures and to place table titles above the tables. If your figure has two parts, include the labels (a) and (b) as part of the artwork. Please verify that the figures and tables you mention in the text actually exist and you include them in the separate file. Please do not include captions as part of the figures or place captions in text boxes linked to the figures. Also, please do not put borders around the outside of your figures. Please use the abbreviation Fig. even at the beginning of a sentence and number them as Fig.1:, Fig. 2:, Fig. 3: etc. Please do not abbreviate Table.. Tables are to be numbered as Table 1:, Table 2: Table 3: etc. Please note that the paper is only printed in black-white colour. Therefore, you should not use different colours to explain/illustrate the figure. Instead, use different patterns to clearly explain the same. Mathematical Equations In your Microsoft Word document, use either the Microsoft Equation Editor or the MathType add-on ( for equations in your paper (Insert Object Create New Microsoft Equation or MathType Equation). Float over text should not be selected. Please number equations consecutively with equation numbers in parentheses aligned with the right margin of the text. First use the equation editor to create the equation. Then select the Equation markup style. The equation shall be centered. Press the tab key and write the equation number in parentheses, e.g., (1), (2), (3) etc. To make your equations more compact, 1 Surname, Firstname_author1 along with Name of the institute, Zip code, Country (corresponding author s contact number, id should be mentioned). Firstname Surname_author2 is with the Name of the institute, Zip code, Country. Firstname Surname_author3 is with the Name of the institute, Zip code, Country. 2 P a g e

3 you may use the solidus ( / ), the exp function, or appropriate exponents. Use parentheses to avoid ambiguities in denominators. Punctuate equations when they are part of a sentence. You are confirm and be certain that the symbols in your equation have been defined before the equation appears or immediately following. Italicize symbols. Refer to (1), not Eq. (1) or equation (1), except at the beginning of a sentence: Equation (1) is.... Units of measurement Please use either SI (MKS) or CGS as primary units. (SI units are strongly encouraged.) English units may be used as secondary units (in parentheses). This applies to papers in data storage. For example, write 15 Gb/cm 2 (100 Gb/in 2 ). An exception is when English units are used as identifiers in trade, such as 3½ in disk drive. Avoid combining SI and CGS units. This often leads to confusion because equations do not balance dimensionally. If you must use mixed units, clearly state the units for each quantity in an equation. Footnotes Number footnotes as i, ii, iii, separately in superscripts (Insert Footnote). Place the actual footnote at the bottom of the page in which it is cited. Please do not put footnotes in the reference list (endnotes). Use letters as a,b,c. for table footnotes. References References should follow APA Style of referencing and the Reference List should be included at the end of the paper. Acknowledgement / Appendix, if any, should feature after the Reference part. Abbreviations and Acronyms Define abbreviations and acronyms the first time they are used in the text, even after they have already been defined in the abstract. Abbreviations that incorporate periods (.) should not have spaces: write C.N.R.S., not C. N. R. S. Please do not use abbreviations in the title unless they are unavoidable. Other Recommendations Please use one space after periods (.) and colons (:). Avoid dangling participles, such as, Using (1), the potential was calculated. [It is not clear who or what used (1).] Write instead, The potential was calculated by using (1), or Using (1), we calculated the potential. Please use a zero before decimal points: 0.25, not.25. Use cm 3, not cc. Indicate sample dimensions as 0.1 cm 0.2 cm, not cm 2. The abbreviation for seconds is s, not sec. Do not mix complete spellings and abbreviations of units: use Wb/m 2 or webers per square meter, not webers/m 2. When expressing a range of values, write 7 to 9 or 7-9, not 7~9. Please avoid contractions; for example, write do not instead of don t. The serial comma is preferred: A, B, and C instead of A, B and C. If you wish, you may write in the first person singular or plural and use the active voice ( I observed that... or We observed that... instead of It was observed that... ). Remember to check spelling and grammar manually and preferably with a language editor before you submit the paper. C. Some Common Mistakes better to avoid The word data is plural, not singular. The subscript for the permeability of 3 P a g e

4 vacuum µ 0 is zero, not a lowercase letter o. A graph within a graph is an inset, not an insert. The word alternatively is preferred to the word alternately (unless you really mean something that alternates). Please use the word whereas instead of while (unless you are referring to simultaneous events). Please do not use the word essentially to mean approximately or effectively. Do not use the word issue as a euphemism for problem. Be aware of the different meanings of the homophones affect (usually a verb) and effect (usually a noun), complement and compliment, discreet and discrete, principal (e.g., principal investigator ) and principle (e.g., principle of measurement ). Do not confuse imply and infer. Prefixes such as non, sub, micro, multi, and ultra are not independent words; they should be joined to the words they modify, usually without a hyphen. There is no period after the et in the Latin abbreviation et al. (it is also italicised). The abbreviation i.e., means that is, and the abbreviation e.g., means for example (these abbreviations are not italicized). 3.1 Editorial and Review Policy Submission of a manuscript shall not necessarily lead to a publication but shall go through a rigorous process of review. Do not submit a reworked version of a paper that you have submitted or published elsewhere. Do not publish preliminary data or results. The submitting author is responsible for obtaining agreement of all coauthors and any consent required from sponsors before submitting a paper. JOLRC strongly discourages courtesy authorship. It is the obligation of the authors to cite relevant prior work. The JOLRC does publish papers related to conferences that have been recommended for publication on the basis of peer review. The submitted paper shall initially be reviewed by the editorial board and if found in conformity with the philosophy of the journal and has some merit to be published shall be sent to the reviewers. At least two reviews would review each of the papers. Undecipherable English is a valid reason for rejection. Authors of rejected papers may revise and resubmit them to the JOLRC as regular papers, whereupon they will be reviewed by two new referees. 4.1 Publication Principles The contents of JOLRC are double blind peer-reviewed and archived. The JOLRC publishes scholarly research papers of archival value as well as tutorial expositions and critical reviews of the subjects and topics of current interest. In order to have your paper published in this journal you should consider the following facts before submission of your paper: 1) Technical papers submitted for publication must advance the state of knowledge and must cite relevant prior work. 2) The length of a submitted paper should commensurate with the importance, or should be appropriate to the complexity, of the work. For example, an obvious extension of previously published work might not be 4 P a g e

5 appropriate for publication or might not be adequately treated in just a few pages. The ideal length of a paper should be between words. 3) Authors must be able to convince both the peer reviewers and the editors on the scientific and technical merit of a paper; the standards of proof are higher when extraordinary or unexpected results are reported. 4) As an ideal research paper, your paper should contain new, resourceful, and fully described information Authors should expect to be challenged by reviewers if the results are not supported by adequate data and a critical details. 5) Papers that describe ongoing work or announce the latest technical achievement, which are suitable for presentation at a professional conference, may not be appropriate for publication in JOLRC. 6) The Current issue of the Journal will also be made available online in the University Website with free to download option. The old issues would be put in Archival and may be made available on payment of specified fee only. 7) Unpublished Manuscripts: The University may decide to publish unpublished manuscripts in other formats like books, policy paper, articles in University Newsletter etc. However, the University would contact the corresponding authors about such decision of the University and the publication would be undertaken only after due consent from the corresponding author along with necessary changes, if any is received. 8) The University would maintain communication with the corresponding author only. 9) Book reviews should be of around words. The University would publish two book reviews in each issue of the journal. Please use APA Style for referencing. 10) Each contributing author shall get one printed copy of the journal. 5.1 Publication Fee The University charges no publication fee from the authors. 6.1 Publication Ethics The University believes that the papers submitted to the Journal are free from plagiarism. The University made it a point to check the papers with Plagiarismcheck software. However, in the event of any published paper are found or reported to be plagiarized, the University would blacklist the author and would bring the matter into public notice by publishing his name in the website of the University and also by notifying the concerned University/Institution the author(s) is/are associated with in writing for such misdeeds. 7.1 Contact Information Papers must be sent within the stipulated time to Journal of Open Learning and Research Communication to kkhsoujournal@gmail.com, with a cc to: bhaskar.kkhsou@gmail.com. Please visit the following websites regularly for Call for papers and other information about the journal. University Website: 5 P a g e

6 Journal Website: 6 P a g e